25 VAFA players ‘live their dream’ with Anytime Fitness

Last Sunday 25 players, representing 11 different VAFA clubs took their opportunity to stride the big stage when they were selected in the Anytime Fitness ‘Live Your Dream’ promotion to play in a sponsors match on Etihad Stadium prior the North/Swans game.

Risking the ire of both their club coaches and their mum’s they all presented for their second game in 24 hours after sending their apologies for Mother’s Day lunch.

The day started well when Marcellin OC star Dan McMahon, ignoring all coaching directives, abandoned his position in the back line to charge forward to kick the match opener to add to the 7 he kicked the previous day.

The Marcellin boys were dominating the play to such an extent that when Rob Costanzo marked on the boundary line, 40m out he felt comfortable enough to run down the clock while checking himself out on the big screen before calmly screwing the banana kick through from outside the boundary line. his performance was in contrast to Hawthorn’s Dave Funky Upton who, not over-awed by his opportunity to showcase his wares, slept in, was late and only just made the opening bounce!

Elsewhere afield the stand out of the VAFA side was the contribution of the VAFA girls. Expecting, and giving, no quarter they meet the (almost 100% male) opposition head on and held their own.

Hawthorn’s Sarah Delbosc, Swinburne’s Elly Mahoney along the with the Eagles’ Natalie MacDonald and Grace Pisasale dominated all over the field. The standouts were the girls from St Melbourne District represented by Henrietta Gelber and Hannah Walravens who dominated at either end of the ground with Walravens kicking the sealer for the Anytime team in the dying minutes before being presented with the best afield.

The presentation was well received by an extremely vocal St Melbourne contingent of fans who had relocated their Mothers Day celebrations to the terraces of Etihad Stadium.